Market Information for Buyers and Sellers of Toronto area real estate

Category Archives: Market Watch

Real Estate 2017

This article contains a podcast which takes a look at real estate 2017 in Mississauga and surroundings. There is a review of sales activity and prices in 2016, plus a look forward to what to expect in 2017.

Update: the Toronto Real Estate Board reported 5,188 residential transactions through the MLS system in January 2017. This was an increase of 11.8% per cent compared to the 4,640 sales that were reported in January 2016. Condos showed a higher sales growth than low-rise homes.

January 2017 was basically an extension of 2016. Sales increased on a year-over-year basis while new listings was down dramatically for most major home types.

It’s pretty clear that owning a home continues to be a great investment and remains very important to many households in Canada. As we move forward through 2017, we expect the demand for ownership housing to remain strong, including demand from first-time buyers who, according to recent surveys, could account for more than half of transactions this year. Many of these potential buyers will have problems finding a home that meets their needs in a market with an extreme shortage of inventory for sale. Prices are at record highs. In the last twelve months, the average selling price of all housing types was up by 22.3 per cent to $770,745, with dramatic increases in the average prices for all major home types.

Biggest problem for the industry – the number of active listings on the MLS system at the end of January was essentially half of what was reported as available at the same time last year. That statistic, on its own, tells us that there is a serious demand and supply imbalance in the Greater Toronto area: a problem that we expect will continue throughout in 2017. The end result will be strong price increases for all home types again this year.

So can we expect the great boom in Canadian real estate to continue? Find out here:

Questions: with prices up a staggering 22.3% per cent in 2016, can the bull market continue? How much higher can house prices go in Toronto, where the average price for a detached home is now over $1 million dollars? Will interest rates rise? What about world politics – will they affect the local Canadian market? What about condos? Just a few questions to consider.

portions of this report first appeared in the Toronto Real Estate Board Market Watch publication

Record June Sales and Higher Prices in Toronto

Real estate agents in the Greater Toronto Area reported 11,992 firm sales through the Toronto Real Estate Board’s MLS system in June,
2015. The June sales numbers reported represent a new record for the month of June for any year, and an 18.4 per cent increase over results in June, 2014.
The Greater Toronto area continues its strong economic growth with several factors contributing to a robust market in the many diverse local economic, ethnic and cultural bases that exist here. The GTA continues to receive worldwide acclaim as one of the best places to live and do business. As the population continues to grow, many people are taking advantage of the options that exist for home ownership in the area.

Average Sale Price up 12.3%

June sales prices were up strongly on a year over year basis in June, for all categories of housing types. The TREB MLS Home Price Benchmark increased by 8.9% per cent compared to June 2014. The average sale price increased by 12.3% per cent over the same period to$639,184.
Higher priced homes have accounted for a greater share of the total transactions in 2015 compared to last year. This is one of the primary reasons why the average selling price has increased at a
higher yearly rate than the MLS Composite Benchmark.
New listings edged upward a bit during 2015, as homeowners took notice of the incredibly strong growth in real estate prices, and are beginning to take advantage of large equity increases in their homes. Nevertheless, the June sales show that the yearly rate of sales growth continues to far exceed the overall growth in listings, meaning that there is still an imbalance with many willing and able buyers in the market who will continue to have difficulties finding a home that suits their preferences. As long as this imbalance in supply and demand continues, house prices will continue to edge ever higher.

Local Toronto area real estate market records were shattered when the Toronto Real Estate Board reported 11,706 sales in the month of May, 2015, for sales activity processed through the TREB MLS system. Total sales were up by 6.3% percent compared with the 11,013 sales that were reported in May, 2014.

The Toronto real estate market as a whole showed sales increases for all types of residential housing. There was a decrease in sales of detached homes reported in the city of Toronto, but this was more as a result of a shortage of listings, than anything else.
The record number of transactions in May, combined with a shortage in the number of homes available for sale, resulted in large price increases in all areas of the market. The Home Price Index (HPI) Composite Benchmark, a key metric that the real estate board follows, was up by 8.9% percent compared to May, 2014.

Real Estate Market Average Price Up 11%

The average selling price for all types of homes in May, 2015 showed an increase of 11% percent over the previous year, reaching $649,599. There was a shift to higher priced, higher end homes, which further boosted average selling price.
Extremely tight market conditions, with detached homes, semi-detached homes, and both freehold and condominium townhomes showing the highest demand, resulted in surging prices throughout the Greater Toronto Area. No matter what part of the Toronto area, listings remained in short supply, and in the suburbs such as Mississauga, Brampton, and Oakville, there were bidding wars on many listings.

We predict that this frenetic real estate market activity will continue throughout the rest of 2015, barring any unforeseen shocks to interest rates or the economy in general. With more buyers than sellers in every housing type and price point, it would take several months of increased listings and fewer sales, to create a more balanced real estate market. Until that time, it seems the only way for real estate is up.

The Toronto Real Estate Board reported 11,303 real estate sales in April 2015. This was the highest sales result on record for the month of April and represented a 17 per cent increase in comparison to April, 2014. While sales increased strongly on a year over year basis, new MLS listings were up over the same period by a more modest five per cent.

Record Real Estate Sales

The record results for real estate sales in April clearly illustrate that a burgeoning number of Toronto area families view home ownership as a priority, high quality long-term investment. This is evidenced by the strong sales growth experienced here in Toronto and the surrounding regions for all major types of housing. First time buyers and existing homeowners remain very active in today’s market.
The overall average selling price, which is a total combined number for all real estate sale for all types of homes reported sold by Toronto area real estate agents in April 2015, was up by 10 per cent year over year to $635,932. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) composite benchmark, which estimates the price of a benchmark home with the same attributes from one period to the next, was up by 8.4 per cent during the same timeframe. The fact that average price growth outpaced growth for the MLS® HPI Composite Benchmark, suggests that a greater share of higher priced homes changed hands this year compared to last.

Single Family Homes Strong

No matter which indicator used, price growth in the Greater Toronto Area was strongest for low-rise home types. However, the better supplied highrise condo segment remained healthy as well, with price growth above the rate of inflation. Demand for home ownership was extremely high compared with the number of homes available for sale in April.

Going Forward

The market is not expected to change much as we move through the balance of the year. Until there is a sustained period during which listings grow at a faster pace than sales, annual rates of housing price growth will remain robust.

Toronto Real Estate Continues Upward Trend in November

A review of the Toronto real estate market shows that it continues its upward trend, with 6,519 residential transactions reported through the Toronto MLS system in November 2014. Results were up by 2.6% compared to November 2013 sales totals of 6,354 sales. From January through the end of November, total sales reached 88,462 – an increase of 6.6% compared to the same period last year.

While sellers enjoyed year-over-year sales increases, the number of active listings continued to be smaller than expected, with available listings at November’s end down compared to last year.

The Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) issued a statement that despite the constrained supply of homes for sale, buyers continue to purchase properties with enthusiasm. Home ownership remains an attractive option, as monthly mortgage payments are relatively affordable compared to market rental rates. This combined with the fact that Toronto real estate has proven to be an attractive long-term investment.

Average selling price of $577,936 for November 2014 transactions versus November 2013 was up by 7.4%. The year-to-date average price was up by 8.4% to $567,198.

The strong price growth in Toronto real estate as seen throughout 2014 has been built on a solid foundation, with demand high relative to supply. The triple market drivers of 1.) continued low interest rates 2.) continued immigration into the Greater Toronto Area, and 3.) continuing good economy with ongoing job creation, continue to fuel the ongoing healthy local market. Ongoing competition between prospective buyers has created strong upward pressure on prices – and all these trends appear to be continuing. Unless there is a major shift in the ratio of sales and listings in the Greater Toronto Area, which we do not foresee, rising prices are expected to continue into 2015. Even though prices are at historic highs, the pressure and desirability of home ownership seems to be unabated, and we think that is a good thing for the local Toronto real estate scene, and indeed for the whole Canadian economy.